• Nuclear

Boxing clever at Sellafield

JFN lands a major decommissioning contract.

The team at James Fisher Nuclear (JFN) is celebrating its biggest ever contract win, working as part of a consortium (in which it has a 25% share) with M+W Group, an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor in high integrity markets.

The contract includes the boxing-up and safe removal of nuclear waste by delivering a facility capable of importing and storing intermediate level waste (ILW) packages from high hazard plants located on Europe’s most complex nuclear site at Sellafield.

The win puts JFN in the spotlight as a major player in addressing the UK’s significant decommissioning challenge, and could open the door to further such specialised contracts.

The contract is JFN’s second major award in as many months and illustrates market confidence in its ability to deliver cost-effective, safe and socially responsible solutions for the nuclear decommissioning industry.

Commercial director for JFN, Steve Tulk, who led the Sellafield bid says:

"This contract is fantastic news. It represents a major milestone in JFN’s expansion and has heightened its profile within the market."

As an integral part of the M+W led team, JFN will contribute to the completion of the Box Encapsulation Plant Product Store (BEPPS 1) and the design and construction of the new Direct Import Facility (DIF). This picks up on work that was started in the 1980s but remained on ice for 30 years, and means the team will be handling both historic waste and the rising amount of waste streams currently being produced.

According to Steve, the strategy of merging the non-nuclear EPC experience of consortium-leaders, M+W, together with the nuclear experience of JFN, has proven to be a winning formula.

"Our differentiator was the way we positioned ourselves with M+W, and team members will be encouraged to challenge the established norms in a drive to deliver this project to the time, cost and quality standards required by Sellafield.  

"The award also illustrates Sellafield’s commitment to the local supply chain,’ Steve adds.